The Green Man Cometh

The Green Man is a powerful archetype, an untamed mysterious figure usually depicted with his semi-human foliate face entwined with plants and leaves. He is an ancient primeval character, representing the fierce verdant force of nature, the woodlands, and densely entwined thickets that once covered the land.

The Green Man is often included in stone carvings by artists and stonemasons; his enigmatic image adorns the crevices and walls of medieval cathedrals and churches all over Europe. Similar images occur in many cultures, representing the vegetation deity, the spirit of the trees, plants and foliage. *

J. Stimmell©2012

It sounds unbelievable but, while taking a walk along the Merrimack river in Concord on the morning of July 6th, I actually met the Green Man face-to-face! What’s more, I was able to take his photograph as he held court at river’s edge, etching himself into the sand with clamshell eyes, weedy hair, and a leafy goatee.

A few feet away I took another photograph of Green Man’s abode: chartreuse, silver maple leaves mirrored in impressionistic waters of reflected sky, clouds, swirling foliage, an infinite cast – all dancing on the sun-dappled, burnt umber muck of deep Being.

The image you see above is my artistic rendering, merging the two worlds: The Green Man and his milieu.

* http://celticartstudio.com/index.php?page=symbol&category=SYMBOLS&from=36&display=47